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WestJet flights cancelled: travellers stranded in Vancouver

Posted on by angelo

A Vancouver blogger is stranded in Los Cabos after his WestJet flight home was cancelled.

Thousands of Metro Vancouver travelers are stranded in destinations around the world over the Canada Day long weekend due to WestJet flight cancellations caused by an unexpected strike.

Members of the WestJet mechanics union walked off the job on Friday, June 29 at 5:30 p.m., accusing their employer of ending negotiations.

The move comes after the federal government issued a ministerial order on Thursday providing for binding arbitration, following two weeks of turbulent discussions with the union over a new agreement.

WestJet preemptively cancelled 25 flights ahead of the long weekend and cancelled an additional 150 on Friday, June 28 and 235 on Saturday, June 29.

The airline had planned to carry more than 250,000 passengers over the long weekend, including numerous flights to and from Vancouver International Airport (YVR). So far, cancellations have affected more than 53,000 travelers.

Vancouver travel blogger stranded in Mexico

La Carmina is a Vancouver-based travel blogger who has traveled to over 70 countries since her first flight from Hong Kong at age one. She is currently stranded in Los Cabos after her return flight with WestJet was canceled.

While the local travel enthusiast isn’t devastated to spend a few extra days in paradise, she does feel bad for people who have plans that include weddings, medical appointments and other important events and meetings; This isn’t the first time she’s changed her travel plans due to a WestJet strike, either.

In 2023, La Carmina had planned to fly to Las Vegas for a business trip, but she preemptively canceled her flight after the airline’s pilots’ union threatened to strike ahead of the May long weekend. She was able to get a last-minute ticket to Sin City from Bellingham for $566, but told VIA her original flight cost much less.

La Carmina received an email from WestJet in the early hours of Friday, June 28 stating that her 2:15 p.m. departure from Los Cabos to Vancouver had been cancelled.

“I got an email after midnight saying the flight had been disrupted and then there was no way to rebook, which wasn’t very helpful,” she says.

“I was already skeptical about flying with them again because last year my flight to Vegas was potentially canceled by WestJet due to the impending strike. But in the end, they reached an agreement and the theft could take place.

“But I had already purchased an expensive alternative flight.”

Someone La Carmina works with ended up rebooking her on a United Airlines flight on Monday, July 1, with a stopover in Houston, Texas. She extended her Airbnb and will be refunded for the canceled flight.

“So basically I get two extra free vacation days! But still… not cool, WestJet!” she remarked.

Dozens of travellers stranded due to WestJet strike

The travel blogger is one of thousands of WestJet customers stranded over the long weekend.

One person wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that their flight from Victoria to Calgary was canceled and that they had booked a second one to Barcelona. Both flights disappeared from the WestJet app, but the traveler later discovered that his flight to Barcelona was still on time.

One person said they were concerned that some flights were only being cancelled at the last minute, noting that many flights are currently showing as “on time.”

One passenger said he was already on the plane when WestJet canceled it.

Amy Nicole said she hadn’t been home in three years and her flight had just been canceled. However, she estimates that “it would cost a fortune to book a last-minute flight with another airline”.

Many people believe WestJet should pay its mechanics more to avoid further disruptions.

Flair spokesperson Kim Bowie said the airline is closely monitoring the WestJet strike and will assist stranded passengers “as best we can.” While Flair can’t add flights over the long weekend, it has seats available on many routes and is seeing a “huge increase in bookings.”

“We will always look to save customers if we can, but right now we are focused on safely and efficiently transporting customers who have already booked and trusted us with their business,” she said at VIA.

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